Safety-signal for railways.



PATENTED JUNE 14, 1904.

W. S. KLINGENBERG.

SAFETY SIGNAL FOR RAILWAYS.

APPLIOATNN FILED MAR. 22, 1904.

N0 MODEL.

I UNITED STATES I Patented June 14, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

SAFETY-SIGNAL FOR RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 762,726, dated June 14, 1904. Application filed March 22,1904. Serial No. 199,441. (No model.)

Safety-Signals for Railways; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains.

to make and use the same.

This invention relates to a safety-signal for railways whereby in the event of the improper setting of a semaphore to indicate to an approaching train that the block ahead is occupied or the failure of the engineer to notice a properly-set signal mechanism will be set into operation to sound the whistle of the locomotive of the train, so as to warn the engineer thereof that the block ahead is occupied, thereby enabling him to bring the train to a quick stop and prevent a possible collision.

The object of the invention is to provide simple and effective safety signaling means of this character which is operated by a suitable trip device adjustable with a semaphore-signal in such manner that if the signal is properly set the semaphore device will be adjusted to an operative position; but if the signal is not set or improperly set the signal device will lie in the path of movement of a signaloperating device on the locomotive of the train, thus causing, through suitable interconnecting mechanism, the sounding of the locomotivewhistle.

WVith these and other objects in View the invention consists of certain novel features. of

construction, combination, and arrangement. of parts, as Wlll be hereinafter more fully described, and particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is adiagrammatic view of a safety-signal mechanism embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a section of railway-track, showing the trip device; and Fig. 3 is a cross-section on line 3 3 thereof, showing the arrangement of the trip device and operating-lever when the parts are in operative relation.

In carrying my invention into practice I provide upon the locomotive means adapted to be operated by a trip device disposed alongside one of the track-rails to open the steamvalve of the whistle and lock the same in open position to continue to sound until the engidle is connected a rope, cord, or chain 1, which is attached to one arm of a bell-crank lever 5, the opposite arm of which is connected by a rod or link 6 to the upper end of a signal-lever 7 The lever 7 is pivoted at its lower end to the upper end of one arm, 8, of an angular operating-lever 9, the opposite arm, 10, of which rests and turns upon a suitable support 11. The arms 8 and 10 of said lever 9 are disposed at such an angle that they form inclined planes 8 and 10, converging downwardly to a central or meeting point and diverging upwardly in opposite directions, so that said bar will contact in either direction of motion of the locomotive with the trip device hereinafter described. To the outer end of the arm 8 is connected a rockerarm 12, whichis formed integrally with the arm 8, saidarm, and consequently the lever 9 and the arm 12, being pivotally mounted at 13. At the point of junction said arms .8 and 12 are pivotally mounted on a bracket or support 1 1, secured upon the locomotive or directly to the locomotive-frame; so that the lever 8 and arm 12 will rock upon the same pivot in planes substantially at right angles to each other, as shown. The lever 7 is pivotally connected at its lower end to the pivot 13, so as to move also with the lever 9 and arm 12, and it is yieldingly connected intermediate of its length to said arm 12 by a bolt 15, pivoted at 16 to the arm 12 and passing loosely through an opening 17 in said lever 7, the latter being normally held in a determined position upon said bolt by a coiled spring 18, said spring encircling the bolt between the adjusting-nut 19 at the free end thereof and the side of the lever 7 opposite the said pivot connection 16. This construction forms a yielding connection between the lever 7 and arm 12, whereby the former is adapted to move with the latter without jar or strain and to thereby prevent too violent action of the connections leading to the valvestem 3 of the whistle. When the train is running at a more or less rapid speed, it will be understood that the lever 9 will be suddenly raised and will quickly swing the arm 12. This action would, were it not for the said yielding connection, transmit too sudden motion to the lever 7, which might under some conditions strain or injure the connections operated thereby and prevent sounding of the whistle; but by the use of said flexible connection any jar or undue strain is initially taken up by the spring 18, thus allowing the arm 12 to move to a certain degree without operating the lever 7 and adapting the latter to be swung easily by the further movement of said arm into operative position. A spring 20 opposes suitable resistance to the operating swing of the arm 12 and, together with the gravitative action of the lever 9, restores the same to its normal position.

In order to hold the arm 12 and cooperating parts locked when swung to operative position by the lever 9 to cause the whistle to sound until the supply of steam thereto is positively cut ofi' by the engineer, so that it may becertain that the engineer has heard the signal, and consequently been warned to bring his train to an immediate stop, 1 provide a lock device which holds the said parts 1n operative position until manually released. This lock device comprises a pawl or dog 21, pivotally mounted upon the bracket 14 and normally projected by a spring 22. This dog normally rides upon a curved guide 23 upon the upper end of the arm 12 and is adapted to engage a notch 24, formed in said arm, which notch is brought into registering position with the pawl, so that the latter may be engaged therewith under the pressure of the spring 22 when the arm has been swung by the movement of the lever 9 into position to operate the lever 7. hen the pawl is thus engaged with the notch, it will retain the arm 12 and lever 7 in their thrown or adjusted position to operate the valve-controller 3 until the pawl is manually disengaged from said notch. In order to effect this disengagement, a lever 25 is provided and is connected by means of a link 26 to a bell-crank lever 27, which is in turn connected by a lever 28 to the free end of the pawl. Movement of this lever in the proper direction will raise the pawl from the notch 24 and release the lever to slide transversely of the trackway in a guide 31, arranged adjacent to and upon the inner side of one of the track-rails 32. The stand 30 is connected to the wires or operating devices 32 and 33 of the semaphore-signal mechanism at the block-station, so as to be moved alongside the rail when the signal is in danger position and away from the rail when the signal indicates a clear track. If when the signal is set at danger the engineer of a train fails to note the same or runs his train past the block in disregard of the signal, the whistle on the locomotive will be sounded through the elevation of the lever 9 by the trip-roller'29, over which it passes, said lever operating the signal or whistle-sounding mechanism on the locomotive in the manner previously described. The attention of the engineer will thus be called to the fact that the signal at the station just passed is set at danger position, so that he may at once control his train to prevent possible collision with the train ahead. Thus a positive signal which cannot be disregarded will be sounded when, through any mistake, lack of reasonable care, or obscuration of the signal by fog or other atmospheric conditions,the engineer has failed to note that the signal at the station is set at danger.

The inclined planes 8 and 10 of the lever 9 allow the lever to be raised by a set trip device without injury to the operating mechanism in either direction of movement of the locomotive, the springs 18 and 20 allowing the parts to have sufficient independent play to prevent violent slamming of the whistle-actuating connections.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, the construction and operation of the invention will be understood without requiring a more extended explanation.

Various changes in the form, proportion, and the minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the principle or sacrificing any of the advantages of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a signal mechanism of the character described, the combination with a whistle and its controlling-valve, of a rocker-arm, a valveoperating lever pivoted to said rocker-arm, a lever for operatingthe rocker-arm, a flexible connection between the rocker-arm and valveoperating lever, a connection between said valve-operating lever and the whistle-valve, and means for engaging the rocker-arm to hold the same in adjusted position.

2. In a signal mechanism of the character described, the combination with a whistle and its controlling-valve, of a lever for operating said controlling-valve, a rocker-arm provided with a notch or recess, a lever for operating said rocker-arm, a flexible connection between the rocker-arm and the val ve-operating lever, a spring-actuated pawl adapted to engage the notch or recess in the rocker-arm to hold the same in adjusted position, and means for disengaging said pawl, substantially as described.

3. In a signal mechanism of the character described, the combination with a whistle and its controlling-valve, of a lever for operating said controlling-valve, a rocker-arm, a lever for operating the rocker-arm, a connection between the rocker-arm and valve-operating lever, a lock to engage the rocker-arm, and means for releasing said lock.

4. In a signal mechanism of the character described, the combination with a whistle and its controlling-valve, of an operating-lever, a rocker-arm operated by said lever, a signallever connected with the whistle-valve, a flexible connection between said lever and rockerarm, a lock to engage the rocker-arm, and means for releasing said lock.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

WINFIELI) SCOTT KLINGEN BERG. WVitn esses:

WILLIAM JAMES RYAN, EDMOND L. BANKS. 

